1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a method for playing a Blackjack card game, and more specifically to a side wager for the card game having elements of the traditional dice game known as craps.
2. Related Art
Blackjack, also known as Twenty-One or by various other names, is a popular card game, often quoted as the most widely played casino banked game in the world. The traditional game is played with one or more standard decks of playing cards. At the beginning of each round, the player places a bet and receives an initial hand of two cards. The basic rules of the game involve adding the value of the two initial card hand in hopes of being dealt a value of 21. If a value of less than 21 is dealt, the player may choose to be dealt single cards until they either reach a value of 21, or reach a lesser value the player feels comfortable holding at, or reach a value that exceeds 21. As between each player and the Dealer independently, the winner holds a hand with a value of or nearest to 21 without exceeding it. The complete rules of play for Blackjack are well documented and well known to those in the gaming field.
The gaming industry is in constant pursuit of new gaming methods as well as modifications to existing gaming methods that will attract new players and maintain the interest of current players. One such technique found effective in many game scenarios is the use of an optional side wager. Side wagers are typically made and resolved while the normal game play is temporarily suspended. Various types of side wagers for games such as slots and Poker have proven moderately successful to capture player interest. However, with respect to the game of Blackjack specifically, craps based side wagers have not been applied with much effectiveness. Examples of some attempted side wagers include U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,192 to Brown which describes a Blackjack game having a craps-based side bet. According to this game method, a player must achieve a qualified hand before they become eligible for the optional side wager. Brown suggests a predetermined two-card combination in order to become eligible for participating in the craps-based side bet. In the preferred embodiment of this game, each player having a Blackjack and beating the Dealer becomes eligible to place a craps wager and roll the dice. Three possible outcomes of the craps roll are permitted. A first outcome based on a roll sum of 7 or 11; a second outcome based on a roll sum of 2, 3 or 12; and a third outcome based on a roll sum of the Point numbers 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,708,974 to Brown describes a method for playing Poker with a craps side bet similar in many respects to that described above in connection with Brown's '192 patent. In this patent, however, a poker player becomes eligible to make a craps side wager in response to the first Dealer down card being a spade. Also, like in the '192 patent, the craps proposition outcomes are not tied to card values, but rather to the roll sum of two dice falling within one of three number groups.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,857,676 to Whitson describes a combination card and dice game based loosely on the combined games of craps and Blackjack. According to this game method, a player chooses to either play cards or dice. Once the decision is made, the Dealer turns over one card which becomes a target card. Then, a pair of dice is rolled. If the roll sum of the dice equals the face value of the target card, the player wins provided they bet on the dice. If the target card is a face card, then the card bettor automatically loses. Dice roll sums of 11 or 12 are automatic winners.
Accordingly, there are no examples of prior art Blackjack style card games offering a side bet based on two rolled dice using familiar craps rules in combination with an unqualified hand consisting of the first two cards dealt a player (or the Dealer).